How does converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas actually work?
In Brevard, a wood-to-gas conversion almost always turns on chimney condition first. Eighty-plus inches of rain a year cracks crowns, spalls brick, and rusts dampers, so the old flue often can't safely carry a gas appliance. A sealed insert with a fresh stainless liner solves both problems at once. And the gas line itself is licensed work — ours to run and permit.
Rain-country chimneys and why the liner matters
Transylvania County's wet season runs March through June, and Brevard's crawl spaces and chimney chases are especially prone to moisture damage. An old wood chimney is rarely sized correctly for a gas appliance to begin with — here it's often physically deteriorated on top of that. When we convert to a sealed insert, we size and install a stainless liner up the flue so the unit vents correctly regardless of the shape the original masonry is in. That's the difference between a conversion that lasts and one that gives you trouble the first damp winter.
Propane country, and the mountain-modern look
Brevard is propane country — many downtown homes and outlying cabins run on LP, which we set up with the right regulator, piping, and orifices, coordinating the tank itself with your propane supplier. For the timber-frame and mountain-modern homes around here, a Mendota FullView with its hand-cast ceramic-fiber logs is the most convincing wood-fire look gas can give you. If you just want ambiance for less, a vented log set is the lighter path.
Transylvania County permit and inspector
We pull the permit with Transylvania County, pressure-test the line before fuel ever connects, and meet the inspector — permitted work that protects your home's sale and insurance. We're 40 minutes southwest of the Asheville showroom. Call (828) 545-0525.
Fireplace help in Brevard
We install and service fireplaces throughout Brevard and the rest of Transylvania County — just 40 minutes southwest from our Asheville-area showroom.
Related questions
- How does a wood-to-electric fireplace conversion work?
- What's the difference between a gas insert and gas logs?
- Can you still burn wood in a fireplace after gas logs or a gas insert have been installed?
- Is a wood-to-gas fireplace conversion reversible if a future owner wants wood fires back?
- How does a gas fireplace insert vent through an existing chimney (co-linear venting)?